Circular loom



26, 1937. Q H ET AL 2,068,855

CIRCULAR LOOM Filed Oct. 4, 1935 FRANK C. HALE- ROBERT YEADON INYENTDRE wymm ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 26, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIRCULAR LOOM ware Application October 4, 1935, Serial No. 43,539 In Great Britain October 16, 1934 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in circular looms and in particular to circular looms of the type in which the shuttle is positioned positively within the shed and carries a member extending to the fell of the fabric and adapted to press the weft firmly into position in the fabric. In looms of this type, especially when fine, smooth fabrics are being woven, the difficulty is sometimes met with that weft bars appear at intervals in the fabric, this probably being due in part at least to the weft from different shuttles not being pressed into the fabric to precisely the same extent. The object of the present invention is to provide a means by which the tendency to the formation of such weft bars is reduced.

According to the invention the member serving to press the weft into the fabric is adjustably mounted with respect to the body of the shuttle so that provision may be made for adjusting at each shuttle the extent to which the weft is pressed into the fabric. Thus, without interfering with the means by which the shuttle is positioned within the shed, correction may readily be made of any irregularity in the laying of the weft.

The adjustable member may be pivotally connected to the body of the shuttle, means such as a screw fitted with one or more lock nuts being provided to adjust the position of the member and hold it securely in adjusted position. In another arrangement the adjustable member is arranged to slide with respect to the body of the shuttle, and in this case a pair of screws fitted with lock nuts are provided to adjust the position of the member. In both cases, the member is so formed that notwithstanding its separate character, recesses in which the warp threads might catch, especially at the forward edge of the member and shuttle body, are avoided.

The member may, however, be formed as part of the shuttle body, the junction between the two being flexible so as to preserve the continuity of the forward edge while providing for the adjustment of the member, as by the screw means described above with reference to the pivoted arrangement of the member.

The adjustable member may form an extension of a plate forming the body of the shuttle, the member continuing the forward edge of the plate down to the fell of the fabric. Thus, when the pivoted arrangement outlined above is employed, the adjustable member may be pivoted to the plate near the front edge of the plate, the adjustment of the member being provided by a screw link extending between the lower edge of the plate and the rear end of the member. The operative edge of the adjustable member may be formed so as to engage a considerable length of the weft to be pressed into the fabric, or it may be formed with a prominence so as to localize somewhat the pressure on the weft.

A form of apparatus according to the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a shuttle;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1 showing the shuttle as mounted in operative position; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view showing a. modification of a part of the shuttle.

The shuttle, which is of the type described in U. S. Patent No. 2,050,328, comprises a top plate and an intermediate plate 53 carrying between them a plate 5 for the support of a spool l and a plate 8 having a frame 9 on which rollers are supported by which the shuttle is positioned in the shed. Thus, there are two pairs of horizontally-disposed flanged rollers It) for engagement with a pair of vane wheels I I mounted on a shaft i 2 and a substantially vertical roller l3 for engagement with a race M on the opposite side of the shuttle to the shaft I2.

Warp threads proceeding downwards to the shuttle are shedded into an outer sheet l5 and an inner sheet it, the threads of the outer sheet passing through the slots in the vane wheel II to the base of the shuttle, and the inner sheet l5 passing between the roller I3 and the race M to meet the sheet i5 at the base of the shuttle.

A narrow strip l 7 with ears 3 to receive screws 5 I9 is secured to the plate 8 just below the vane wheel II to prevent the outer warps !5 from being carried into the nip of the vane wheel II and the lower rollers i l! in the event of any backward rotation of the vane wheel, as described and claimed in U. S. application S. No. 43,540, filed on even date herewith.

In order to avoid there being any crevice between the forward end of the strip I! and the plate 8 into which the warp threads might enter, a hole 20 is formed in the plate 8 into which the front end of the strip l'i enters.

Below the plate 8 is mounted a plate 22 forming the base of the shuttle, the edge 23 of the plate 22 lying at the fell ofthe fabric 24. Owing to shedding of the warps having taken place in advance of the shuttle, weft 25 laid by the preceding shuttle lies as shown in Fig. 2 in a closed shed, and the base 22 of the shuttle presses this weft firmly into the fabric, it being understood that the shuttle is firmly positioned by reason of the interaction of the vane Wheels H and rollers l between the warps l5 on one side of the shuttle and the race. l4 and roller i3 between the warps IE on the other side of the shuttle. The base 22 is pivotally mounted at 26, the pivot shown being formed in a plate 21 bent round the plate 8 and base member 22 so as to prevent the formation of any crevice for the entry of warp threads.

A link comprising oppositely-threaded members 28, 29, a similarly threaded sleeve and lock nut 3| is connected at the points 32, 33 to the plate 8 and base member 22 respectively. By adjustment of the length of the link the position of the edge 23 of the base member 22 may be adjusted in accordance with the particular type of fabric being woven, the type of weft in use, or the idiosyncrasies of any particular shuttle.

Instead of the base member 22 being pivoted to the plate 8 it may be arranged to slide with respect thereto, any suitable positioning and locking means being provided. It is preferred, however, to employ pivoting means as illustrated because of the protection afforded thereby against warp damage. If desired, however, the plate 8 and the base member 22 may be made in one piece, having a junction in the neighbourhood of the pivot 25, thinning out to permit the base member to flex and be adjusted by the link. In such an arrangement the front edge of the plate 8 continues unbroken into the front edge of the member 22, and no possible crevice exists for the entry of warp threads.

Fig. 3 shows an alternative form for the base member 22. Instead of this having a lower edge 23 of suitable length terminating in the eye 34 by which weft thread 35 drawn from the spool I is led into the shed, the edge may be formed with a short prominence 36 so as to localize somewhat the pressure at the fell of the fabric.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. A circular loom shuttle, comprising an elongated body-portion, an elongated pressing member extending along the length of said body-portion and protruding therefrom in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the shuttle, said pressing member being adapted to press a length of weft into the fabric, and means for adjusting the position of said pressing member relatively to said body-portion so as to adjust the extent to which the weft is pressed into the fabric.

2. A circular loom shuttle, comprising an elongated body-portion, an elongated pressing member pivoted on said body-portion and extending along the length of said body-portion in a plane substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the shuttle, said pressing member being adapted to press a length of weft into the fabric, and means for adjusting the position of said pressing member relatively to said body-portion so as to adjust the extent to which the weft is pressed into the fabric.

3. A circular loom shuttle, comprising an elongated body-portion, an elongated pressing member extending along the length of said body-portion and protruding therefrom in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the shuttle, said pressing member being adapted to press a length of weft into the fabric, and screw means for adjusting said pressing member relatively to said body-portion so as to adjust the extent to which the weft is pressed into the fabric.

4. A circular loom shuttle, comprising an elongated bcdy-portion, an elongated pressing member hinged to the forward edge of said bodyportion, and extending along the length of said body-portion in a plane substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the shuttle, said pressing member being adapted to press a length of weft into the fabric, and means for adjusting said pressing member relatively to said body-portion so as to adjust the extent to which the weft is pressed into the fabric.

FRANK CORBYN HALE.

ROBERT YEADON. 

